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Have I ever mentioned that I won't buy Girl Scout cookies? That's right. When those adorable little girls come to the door in their cute little brown outfits, I just smile and say no thanks.
It's my personal conviction. I simply cannot stomach giving money to an organization that has been taken over by radical feminists and supports Planned Parenthood.
Related to this is to today's Boundless article called "Basketball Jesus" by George Halitzka. It's about how Christians often have varying degrees of conviction about issues like politics, alcohol, R-rated movies, and when, and when not to, boycott something. Have you ever met folks who think R-rated movies are a tool of the devil? Or setting foot inside a bar is sinful, and voting Democrat means supporting baby-killers? If you ever question the views of those "Super-Saints," they'll cheerfully tell you how unspiritual you are.
Maybe on the flip side, you've encountered Believers who vote straight Democrat (because Big Oil has Republicans in their back pocket). They enjoy slasher movies and have nothing against a good chugging contest. When you wonder about their shady lifestyle, they scoff at your "legalism."
For 2000 years, Christians have argued over stuff that isn't covered in the Bible — only the topics have changed. In ancient Corinth, the disagreement was over meat.
Though I'd argue the sanctity of life is covered in the Bible, I do get his meaning. So go ahead and buy your box of Thin Mints, I won't judge. Really, I won't. As a matter of fact, my father-in-law often has them in his pantry. And I'll even enjoy one once in awhile when I'm visiting.
On May 14, 1948 Israel became a nation for the first time since Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome in A.D. 70. After Rome took over, the Jews were dispersed -- spreading out to many different countries -- no longer connected by a common land. But after the Holocaust the United Nations voted to make Israel a nation once again -- the Jews would again have a place to belong.
In the 60 years since Israel has been a country, there have been many wars and almost no peace. As we all know, the fight over this tiny piece of land continues. When asked by Time Magazine where Israel would be at in 60 years, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel wisely responded: When it comes to Jewish history, it is dangerous to indulge in prophecy. Who would have predicted Abraham leaving the grandiose home of his father and his idols to discover that God alone ruled the world? And Moses, the man with a speech defect, an inspired spokesman for his people? And David the young shepherd, a warrior and king?
Had anyone predicted Hitler's crimes? Only three years after the saddest and cruelest chapter in Jewish history, a sovereign Jewish State was proclaimed: Was it predictable? Was its military victory over five well armed Arab armies predictable? And the Six-Day war? And the Yom Kippur war? And the influx of a million Jews from the Soviet Union? And the assassination, by a Jewish fanatic, of the legendary Prime Minister Itzhak Rabin?
To try to predict is ill-advised and dangerous.
When it's summed up that way, it does seem silly to try to predict what might happen with God's chosen people, although we do know that it all ends with a newly created Jerusalem. But in the meantime, the Bible calls us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Whatever your politics when it comes to Israel, the 60th anniversary of this small nation is a good time to remember to pray for peace within its walls.
I think the emphasis for May in my daughter's Sunday school class is "helping others." At least, that's the gist I got from the calendar she brought home from church which listed different ways to help others on different dates. Things like "pick strawberries for a neighbor" and "clean your room on National Clean Your Room Day."
But, among the different dates was one that made me stop. May 15th. National Chocolate Chip Day.
Can that be right, I wondered? So, I did a little checking and yep, the National Confectioners Association has dubbed May 15th, this Thursday, to be National Chocolate Chip Day.
Normally, I'm not all that into, you know, pagan holidays. But this is one I could really sink my teeth into (he, he). I also liked the encouragement of "helping others," so ... what to do with chocolate chip cookies? Turns out, my church needs some for their cookie ministry (the deacons take cookies after church each Sunday to each new visiting family because, I don't know, nothing woos the lost like delectable brown sugar, butter and pieces of cocoa delight).
Then, the words started echoing in my mind. Cookie. Ministry. Cookie. Ministry. So, here's my invitation (to girls and guys alike--both my husband and my brother-in-law make some mean chocolate chip cookies): Will you join my family in celebrating National Chocolate Chip Day? But, remember, we want to do ministry. So, maybe you could take some cookies to your church staff. Or to the homeless. Or to your neighbors that you haven't met yet. Or to those people at work that kind of annoy you (just make sure they don't read this blog).
I know that there are some big problems in this world. And cookies won't solve them. But, who knows? Maybe we could shine just a little of God's love in our own little corners of the world--one cookie at a time.
By the way, here's a recipe celebrating National Chocolate Chip Day that I'm going to try. Maybe Ted can perfect it after he wraps up that chicken wing thing.
I couldn't help but blog about Bella after seeing it in the theater.
Now that it's been released on DVD, I can't help but buy a copy of this remarkable film.
I wrote that "Bella will make you a better person." Candice wrote that it's "the message of the gospel wrapped beautifully, subtly in a story that will change you." This movie inspired my wife to write that "if we'll take our eyes off ourselves and our problems, focusing our attention on the needs of others, we may just start changing the world one heart at a time."
Dr. Dobson enjoyed it. Focus on the Family President Jim Daly loved it.
Bob Hoose and Steven Isaac of Plugged In Online concluded that "Bella is an unusually intelligent, humane film that reminds us how easy it is to impact one person's life—and perhaps save another's—simply by being sensitive to hurting people and carving out time to care. It is a tender tale of grace, faith, redemption and the sanctity of life...."
Rare is the movie that will make you a better person. Bella is among them.
It's that time of year again. You know, when we make our annual trek to Louisville, KY for the New Attitude conference. I always look forward to the worship, teaching, and fellowship. So edifying.
This year The Boundless Show host Lisa Anderson will be with me. She'll help out with the booth and take the lead on the interviews we've scheduled with Josh Harris, Mark Dever and Albert Mohler. I'm sorry to report, though, that John Piper gave us the big dis (not really) when we requested an interview -- something about going on hiatus from interviews because of a book he's writing.
Oh, and we'll be debuting the Boundless Magazine. It's a prototype of what we hope will become a regular quarterly print publication with all exclusive content. Be one of the first to receive it by signing-up on our interest list. Much more on this later.
As for the prototype, it's got all exclusive content too and we're hoping to have our PDF version available soon. But if you want a hard copy, you'll just have to come to Louisville and drop by our booth at New Attitude.
So who's going?
There are many crises in the world to worry about, and at times it's easy to become overwhelmed. I'm sure many Boundless readers have causes that they're deeply devoted to and support, so I'm not going to suggest you change where the Lord might lead you.
But let me suggest something to think about. The word genocide is thrown around too lightly these days, but a case can be made for a real genocide going on today in the Darfur region of Sudan. It's a slow-motion genocide, receiving limited attention in the press because of the logistical difficulties of reporting from one of the most desolate places on earth and because of the very real danger of death at the hands of the genocidal perpetrators -- the government of Sudan in Khartoum.
The roots of the Darfur tragedy are long and deep, but here is a good, succinct summary. For a more disturbing, firsthand look, though, I highly recommend you view the movie The Devil Came on Horseback and read the accompanying book by Brian Steidle. (The film and book take their title from the name of the government-sponsored Arab militias that terrorize the people of Darfur: the janjaweed. The word means "devil on horseback" in Arabic.) Warning: the film contains some very disturbing images and content, but I think we owe it to ourselves to look this evil square in the eye in order to understand it -- and confront it.
Nearly 10 years ago, when I reported on the war and slave-trading in southern Sudan, I became despondent that so few people in the world seemed to care. But I realized my vision was too narrow. Through the patient efforts of many people, a peace treaty was signed in 2004, and while the people of southern Sudan still live in tenuous circumstances, they at least are not having to dodge bombs and bullets.
I was mere days away from flying into Darfur back in 2006, but the situation deteriorated rapidly with the removal of African Union troops, and the janjaweed started targeting aid workers, so my trip was cancelled. But I'm able to keep up with developments and support the people of Darfur through the Save Darfur coalition.
Please check out the situation for yourself. And if the Lord so leads, please pray for and support the people of Darfur.
This Sunday is Mother's Day. So our host Lisa Anderson kicks off The Boundless Show with an encouraging word about her mom and how she prays for the show each week, even though she's never heard it; because she doesn't own a computer and refuses to get one because of "all that porn." But she understands it's an audio show so at least it's in the ballpark.
Steve Watters ends the segment with a poignant reminder of why we all need to take the time to make this Mother's Day a special one.
Roundtable -- 6:50
Is it OK for Christians to go camping alone with their girlfriends or boyfriends? Hmm. That's one of the dating dilemmas we discuss in our roundtable this week. Other dilemmas revolve around jobless men and spendthrift women. It's a fun segment, but we hope you'll find it helpful as well.
Culture -- 22:35
Many of you have probably already seen Facing the Giants from Sherwood Pictures, the movie production arm of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Well, they have a new movie coming out this September called Fireproof and Lisa had a chance to sit down with Jim McBride and Steven Kendrick after a special screening here at Focus on the Family. I couldn't make it but based on what everybody had to say, it's a must-see!
Hungry Years -- 33:29
When John Thomas was offered his first job out of college, he was a reluctant candidate. One of the marks against it was the location ... his hometown. And who wants to move back home right after college. Nobody, right? But despite low pay and no benefits, would it turn out to be an offer he couldn't refuse? Check it out. I guarantee you'll laugh out loud.
Inbox -- 38:50
Does Boundless have an unbalanced view of marriage? One of our listeners thinks so after Candice brought up a woman's "help meet" role in last week's podcast. The questioner asks in short, shouldn't women who've done all the right things to "get married" stop chasing men and seek God? Steve and Candice tackle this one with resounding, We agree! But....
I'm including your listening options here because we're working on our artwork this week. If you're inclined to listen on iTunes, please take a moment to leave us a review. Also, if you like to stream or download the MP3 or want to subscribe through RSS, all those options can be found on our Feedburner page.
And last but not least, I'd like to end by thanking West Coast Revival for letting us use their music this week. It really adds to the show. And if you want to hear more go to their Web site.
You're a single Christian woman, and you have in your head that you're not supposed to initiate relationships; that's the guy's role. And yet it's your heart's desire to be married, to enjoy your husband, to raise children.
So how might you get from where you are now to where you want to be?
Among other things, you can pray. While prayer seems more mystical and less practical than other things you could try, it is truly effective. After all, it consists of presenting your requests before the Creator of the universe. He not only cares for you, but is able to do something about your situation.
And you could invite friends to join you in prayer. Nothing at all wrong with that.
Speaking of practical, let me be practical: Click right now over to the Women Praying Boldly Web site and join their community. It's free, the fellowship is encouraging, and you'll have friends who'll pray for you, and for whom you too can pray.
This may seem like a shameless plug for a friend of mine, but it's really not. It's about helping you do what you can to help marriage happen.
It's a puzzling biblical truth that sometimes we "do not have, because we do not ask." I implore you to join the community of women at Women Praying Boldly, and then, with them by your side, to go ahead and ask.
 I'm a big fan of intergenerational friendships among Christians. I've often heard someone my age say, "I want to get to know an older believer to glean from his wisdom and experience." But sometimes wisdom comes from the young. An excerpt from my personal blog.
Soft-spoken with gentle eyes, 16-year-old Zach Hunter doesn't look the part of an abolitionist. But beneath a quiet exterior beats a fiery heart akin to William Wilberforce or Martin Luther King Jr. In the past four years, Zach has written two books, founded an anti-slavery campaign and spoken all over the world.
This morning I sat at a table with Zach and his mom. When asked if he ever gets to be a "normal" 16-year-old, Zach shrugs and says, "Sometimes." His next words challenge me. "A lot of times kids my age are going out and doing things I don't want to do—because they're not right." He's talking about seeing certain movies or going to prom, things most teens—even Christian ones—probably wouldn't think twice about.
Zach has a keen sense of right and wrong—a quality that led him to start "Loose Change to Loosen Chains" when he was 12. The student-led campaign continues to raise thousands of dollars each year to end slavery. Gentle and humble (remind you of anyone?), Zach isn't your average powerhouse influencer. And yet his fierce dedication to God's calling on his life and willingness to sacrifice are inspiring a generation to take action. In a CT article, he says of his generation:
"I want us to make history—and I don't mean to get our names in some history book, but to be known as a generation that did something for God, cared for the poor, and totally stopped slavery."
And God is blessing Zach's willingness to commit his youth to this cause. Zach's book Be the Change surprised publishers with the number of copies sold. And his upcoming book Generation Change will be accompanied by parent-youth events to help parents empower their children to follow God's calling on their lives.
I'm glad for examples like Zach. God challenged me to a higher standard through him. You can catch Zach's wisdom on his blogs at breakawaymag.com.
Earlier today I talked about how housing is one of the "big five" expenses for families. That also means it's one place where mistakes can be very costly -- for families or singles.
And over at Boundless, I wrote an article titled "Home Buying Mistakes" where I list 15 common home-buying mistakes and how to avoid them. I also tackle whether there is anything distinctive Christians should be considering in the home buying process.
I'd be interested in what you think. Take a quick look at the article (it's an easy read -- nice bolded topic headings) and see if you agree. Have you made any of these mistakes? I have. Anything you hadn't thought about before? What about coming at home buying from a Christian worldview -- any ideas for that?
And in the spirit of being "shining stars" in the blogging world and showcasing the intelligence and originality of our readers, will you promise not to start any comment with "I haven't read the article ... but"? I'm really interested in what you can think of that I haven't. I promise, you will make my day! (Of course, "Amens" are perfectly allowable. You know..."Amen to #7! I learned this by..." That kind of thing.)
Also, if I had to add mistake #16, I think it would be buying a home where the master bathroom has no separating wall between it and the master bedroom. Whether you are married or want to be someday, I will swear by this one. We do have a separating door, so this morning when my husband hopped into the shower at 5:45am, I was able to simply roll over in the darkness, put the pillow over my ear and get 45 more minutes of sleep. Ah, bliss.
Copyright 2008 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. The Line and Boundless Line are trademarks of Focus on the Family.
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